PAG: Blueberry Panic
by ChocoChick87
Summary: When the Porre Academy for Girls is established in what was once Guardia in 1006 AD, Lucca is furious to discover that attendance is mandatory, even for geniuses!
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone and welcome to my first Chrono Trigger fanfic! You may have been wondering about the name… Well, PAG stands for the Porre Academy for Girls, and Blueberry Panic is a parody of Strawberry Panic, a yuri anime that I was briefly interested in. I had to conclude, however that while the yuri was cute, the plot seemed to consist of separate episodes strung together like beads on a thread.

I did begin to wonder after some time, "How cool would it be to have a Chrono Trigger anime?" and after a while, my poor convoluted wreck of a mind began to spit out scenes from an old-styled, uniform-style academy where boys and girls were roomed separately and Porre oppressed the once-free youth of Guardia. More importantly, it included Lucca…

Now, that being said, I have some warnings to issue. I am in possession of what many would call an unstable mind. Not to say I'm crazy, I'm just a little…impaired. I have suffered most of my life from depression, anxiety, and psychosis. And quite recently I discovered that I have bisexual feelings that are connected with my psychosis. If I haven't scared you off by now, you may want to check out "Beautiful Hallucinations," another fanfic/documentary that explores this concept and how my relationship with Lucca came about. It's not exactly a prequel, but it might give you some background.

Now that you know this, I have to tell you that this fanfic will heavily feature yuri between my character and Lucca. Don't worry, it's not going to be make-out-every-two-seconds stuff, but it will be there. There will be plenty of plot to move the story along (unlike Strawberry Panic- har har) but DO expect kissing, squeezing, groping, caressing, etc. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

See, my basic theory is, Crono gets Marle, Ayla gets Kino, Robo gets Athropos, Frog is a noble knight and doesn't need or particularly want the burden of romance in his life right now, and Magus is a freaking bastard who is too arrogant and bent on revenge to care about love. (Sorry all you Magus fans. He just happens to be my least favorite character. I will, however, endeavor to give him proper credit in this fanfic. Not gonna bash on him, I swear!) So Lucca gets left out! And that, as all Lucca fans know, is completely and atrociously unfair. I feel she should be able to have whomever she wants, even if that person is a girl.

All that aside: I don't own Chrono Trigger, it's characters, or Toriyama-san's artwork. Now on with the story!

* * *

I was walking along briskly, with the breeze in my hair, a tune in my head (Lucca's Theme, to be exact,) and a smile playing on my lips. Work hadn't been half bad today. Not bad at all. And now I had more money to stash away for the next con, where my friend Danni and I were cosplaying as Marle and Lucca. Anime Banzai was going to be spectacular!

As I was contemplating for the millionth time how to style Danni's wig, the wind began to pick up. At first I paid it no mind, merely brushing my hair out of my face and considering hairspray as a option. But then the wind started getting serious, whipping my hair into my face with such force that it stung, and moaning like something alive. Now I was annoyed. I started walking faster in an attempt to get home sooner. But no sooner did I pick up the pace than a thought entered my head, seemingly carried on the current of air itself: _The Black Wind howls…_

Now, I had psychosis so I was used to strange thoughts and voices entering my head unexpectedly, but somehow this one gave me the chills. _Heh,_ _been too obsessed with Chrono Trigger lately_, I tried to dismiss it, but almost before that thought was finished the wind whirled in an almighty rush around me, howling madly, and time/space was rent into a gaping black hole right in front of me. Naturally, being the talented, graceful and highly coordinated being that I am, I fell right in.

Blue lightning danced madly around me and for a few nauseating seconds, like going through a corkscrew on a rollercoaster, I honestly had no idea which way was up. I closed my eyes to shut out the sight and clutched wildly at nothing while screaming. At least on the rollercoaster, there were safety restraints to hold on to. Here there was nothing except the…ground…? Yes, ground, if you could call this pulsating mass of blue energy the ground. Gasping for breath and fighting vertigo, I looked up and around to get my bearings.

My perceptions of reality were instantly shattered. Looming in front of me was the hulking mass of Lavos, its' spiked projections seeming to rise forever into the space above me. I screamed at the sight, and in return, Lavos' maw opened and that horrible shrieking roar issued forth. I lurched to my feet, irrationally thinking I could somehow run away from the beast, and as I did so, I glimpsed high above me, suspended in a cage of Lavos' spikes and her own magic, Schala.

I skidded to a stop; the voice was back. _Have to free…have to free Schala… _Before I could stop myself, I was yelling Schala's name at the top of my voice. I had no idea how I planned to get her out of there, I just knew I had to do it. I stood there screaming her name like an idiot with no response until my voice gave out. Finally, crying with frustration, I knelt back down on the ground, head bowed, and realized that _I_ was the one who needed help.

_Schala…Schala…_my thoughts pulsated, this time of their own accord. _What am I supposed to do?_ _I can't even save myself, let alone you. It's the story of my life,_ I further ruminated. _I battle my own mental illness every day, while all around me my friends fall prey to the same depression. I try my best to help them, but…_My own racking sobs ended any coherent thoughts, but the pain went on. My crying echoed around times' eclipse, uninterrupted by the black wind or Lavos' shrieks.

Then…_At least you didn't give up, _a thought came in return. _It is through my own doing that I am trapped as part of the Time Devourer for the rest of eternity. _I looked up…and directly into Schala's eyes. She seemed to be awake and coherent inside her cocoon. She continued,_ This came about because I wished from the depths of my own sadness and despair that everything would be erased. You however, out the depths of your sadness and despair, find the strength to go on living and wish to make things better. I shall grant you that chance once again. _She gestured with an arm, and a portal appeared._ Go. There may be nothing you can do for me, but you can still try to help your friends._

_Schala…_ I tried to say something to express my gratitude.

_Go… my mind…is slipping…away…_Her eyes closed and she began to levitate within her cage once again.

_Your clone…it'll all work out! _I blurted, trying to assure her

_Go, now! Or be devoured with the rest! _The voice changed, turning malevolent as it mingled with Lavos' roar.

I immediately jumped into the portal this time.


	2. Chapter 2

This time it wasn't quite as disorienting. There was a familiar whooshing sound overlaid with an almost ethereal voice-like tone, and waving blue lines danced across my vision for a few seconds. Yet somehow I managed to land face-first in the mixture of leaves, pine needles and dirt that made up the forest floor. Getting onto my hands and knees, I looked around. It was the middle of the night, or early morning, and I was in a forest. This was NOT home. _Boy, Schala wasn't kidding when she said her mind was slipping,_ I thought to myself. _I must be miles from my house._ Luckily the moon was full and it shed enough light for me to get my bearings. As I looked around the clearing, something long, shiny and metallic caught my eye.

I gingerly picked it up. It was about two and a half feet long, cylindrical, and had holes down one side of it. Something about this was very familiar…I lifted it horizontally and sure enough, my fingers found the proper holes and a mouthpiece, winking golden in the moonlight, pressed against my bottom lip. The Heartsong! This flute had been my weapon of choice on my last adventure…if memory served me correctly. But I had been seventeen then, and six years had passed. Besides, the Heartsong didn't have a golden mouthpiece and a dagger-sharp split end. There was only one way to find out.

Six years ago, on a world called Gaia, the last survivor of the Summoner Tribe had told me that her ancestors had made this flute and passed it down from one keeper to the next. It was very precious because if played by someone with a pure heart, that person would be granted their hearts desire. It also, like most Summoners artifacts, was a tool for channeling magic. I had wanted Eiko to keep it, but she said the flute had obviously "chosen" me for it's own reasons, and thus I was its' bearer. So for better or for worse I was stuck with the thing. It had followed me across times and worlds before, so why not here and now?…Wherever here and now were. Well, assuming the flute still found my heart worthy, however flawed my mind was, I would soon find out.

I raised the flute to my lips again, and began to play a scale to warm up. I was incredibly nervous and my fingers trembled, as did my diaphragm and lips, resulting in a soft, breathy vibrato that echoed throughout the clearing. But gaining courage, I slowly built up fluidity, tone, and speed until I was able to run up and down the entire B flat scale without stopping for breath- which is quite an accomplishment if you haven't touched a flute in six years!

Stopping to take a break, I set the flute down on my knees…to see that instead of the black slacks I had been wearing, they were covered in a light grey-blue material that was a stretchy and skintight as spandex, but as tough and durable as denim. I was wearing pants of this material, as well as a long sleeved shirt. On top of this was a wine-colored jacket of sorts that came down to just below my breasts and laced up in the front, with sleeves that came to my elbows. At my waist was a belt with a round golden buckle. Hanging from the belt was a belt-purse on my left hip, and a wine-colored skirt of sorts that came down to just above my knees and was split up the front. To cap it all off were a pair of brown boots and wine-colored leggings, with matching fingerless leather gloves.

My game clothes! I had designed them for an eventuality such as this, but I never thought that they would get off the paper and onto my person. Out of curiosity, I unfastened my belt and shimmied my pants down a bit…and there was mysticalpha's contribution to the ensemble; a pair of fireproof underwear; useful when fighting dragons and other fire-elemental creatures.

Chuckling to myself, I slid my pants back up and refastened my belt. Already things were looking up. At least I was equipped to deal with any monster that came my way…then glancing around at the woods, I decided that it had better be a low-level monster. Heaven knew how out of practice I was. Speaking of practice…

I reluctantly sat down with my back to a tree and picked up the Heartsong again. It was time to get serious. What scared me about this was that sometimes the flute knew me better than I did, and I didn't always get what I expected in terms of "my hearts desire." Sometimes I felt more like the flute played me than I played it! In this case, though, I would have to trust the good intentions and white magic of the Summoners, and lay my heart bare.

I raised to mouthpiece to my lips, blew, and my fingers began to move almost of their own accord. I recognized this song- it was "Wind Scene!" As it filled the grove with its' haunting melody, I realized I had a piece to the puzzle. I must be in Guardia, approximately 606 A.D. But this wasn't where I needed to be! As thrilling as the thought was that I was actually in the Chrono Trigger universe, I knew where my responsibilities lay: home. I needed to get home. I poured my yearning into the song; the melody rose and fell like the wind it was named for. I had my eyes closed to accentuate my hearing and it was for this reason that I jumped about a mile when a twig cracked.

Before I knew what was happening, the clearing was flooded with torchlight, gleaming on swords, shields and amour. I was frightened at first, clutching at the Heartsong and waving the pointed end around in a futile effort to defend myself. Then, a short, stubby form made its' way to the head of the group. The form was topped with a head that had bulging yellow eyes, a broad mouth, and small whiskers coming off to the side. A head that could only belong to a-

"Frog!!" I cried.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

For those of you wondering "Where the heck is the yuri?" I present something to pacify you. For those who really couldn't care less, just skip to the next chapter.

If you're curious as to where in the heck the fire-proof underwear thing came about, I present to you this link. The comic itself isn't finished yet (and may never be, for all I know) but for now you can enjoy the script. Many thanks to Vincent Ho (mysticalpha) for indulging my fetish. .

If you like his twisted brand of humor, you may also enjoy his webcomic at .com , and/or you may want to check out my upcoming dubbed videos of his comics on YouTube (Username ChocoChick87)


	3. Chapter 3

"Doth I know thee?" Frog inquired, tipping his head to one side curiously. The soldiers exchanged glances and shrugs. There was an uncomfortable silence as I struggled for words, then one of the soldiers said, "It seems she knows you, Sir Frog. A wandering minstrel, perhaps?" There were scattered chuckles at this, and I swallowed and cleared my throat vigorously. "Quiet!" commanded Frog. "Let the maid say her piece."

"I-I'm Melanie," I finally managed to spit out. Frog looked confused. "You know, the girl that Lucca-""Ah, yes!" Frogs eyes widened in recognition, and his mouth broadened into a smile. "Lucca's lov-" I shook my head and went into a fake coughing fit. "Er, friend." finished Frog, more tactfully. Turning to his friends, he announced, "This maiden is a friend of my companions Sir Crono and Lady Lucca, who restored Queen Leene to her throne six years past. She is, as thou hast said, a wandering minstrel, and quite harmless." Turning back to me, he asked "Art thou in need of assistance?" Not knowing what to say, I simply nodded. "We shall escort thee to Guardia Castle, then."

So it was that I found myself surrounded by an armed escort on the way to Guardia castle. It turned out that I had landed only about half a mile north of the castle itself, so it made sense to the soldiers that I had gotten lost in the dark and wandered off course a bit. What didn't make sense to them was that I was traveling with no provisions. "We shall see to that once she reaches the castle safely, shall we not?" Frog silenced them.

Out of curiosity I opened my belt pouch to confirm that I did indeed, have nothing, only to find it stuffed full of tiny bottles. I took one out, squinted at it in the moonlight, and then, at the height of my inspiration, decided to taste it. Frog croaked warningly and made an attempt to snatch the bottle out of my hand, but by that time the contents were gone. They tasted familiar; sugary, almost like drinking some kind of syrup. Suddenly the memory came back and I almost laughed. These were hypers! Hoo boy, FF7 potions in the Chrono Trigger universe! Could this get any weirder? Laughing, I gave Frog the bottle and told him, "Don't worry, it's just a kind of medicine I take. Keeps me happy. In fact," I continued, feeling better by the minute as the hyper worked it's magic, "You may want your apothecary to take a look at this thing. Maybe they can replicate it" Frog grunted in reply, seeming to think I was being flippant. However, he did keep the bottle.

We reached the castle within an hour. The gates were flung wide open for "Sir Frog," his soldiers, and their charge. I gazed wonderingly at the old stone walls, the rich carpets and banners, and Queen Leene resplendent in a nightgown…Queen Leene?!"Your Highness, thou shouldest not be up at this hour! Pray, art thou in peril?" Frog seemed truly alarmed. His hand went to the hilt of the Masamune. "Oh no, Frog, I'm fine. And so is Henry." She patted her stomach, which I now noticed was quite round. No wonder Frog was worried about her! It looked as though another heir to the throne of Guardia was on his way. "I just woke up in fact. I heard the most beautiful music, coming from the woods north of here. Perhaps you found its' source while out patrolling?" Her eyes turned to me questioningly. It was at that moment I realized that I was the only one besides Frog who wasn't kneeling! Feeling incredibly stupid, I went down on one knee like the soldiers all around me, blushing.

"Indeed we did, Your Highness." Frog indicated that I should rise, although I had been down for approximately two seconds. "May I present to thee Melanie, a friend of my good companions Sir Crono and Lady Lucca."

Instantly Queen Leenes' face was wreathed in smiles. "Oh yes! The ones who helped you rescue me so long ago!" She rushed forward and took my hands in hers. "Tell me, do you bring news of them? Why haven't they visited in so long? They do know that they are welcome to stay at the castle whenever they like, don't they?"I was completely flabbergasted, but luckily Frog came to my rescue. "I am sure that they art well, my Queen," he reassured her "I receive…messages from Lady Lucca quite often. But, as they live in Porre it is rather difficult for them to travel here." I marveled at Frog's skill. Not one word he had spoken was a lie, and yet it deceived the Queen quite 's face fell. "Oh yes, I forgot…but never mind that. All of you!" she addressed the soldiers and any servants within hearing range. "This girl is our guest. She is to be treated as such. She is to be given free reign of the castle, and such supplies as she may need. Understood?" There was a general murmur of assent. "Very good. Now dear," she said, turning to me, "The guest quarters are upstairs in the east wing, just below my chambers." _There were no guest quarters in 600 AD_, I thought, raising my eyebrows."Well, we can't have you sleeping in the knights quarters, can we?" she laughed, misinterpreting my expression. I smiled, and finally finding my voice, said "I can't thank you enough, Queen Lee- er, Your Highness. Isn't there some way I can repay you?""Well, there is one thing…" she paused with one fist under her chin, looking exactly like Marle for a moment. "Would you play that song for me once again before you leave? It was quite lovely." I blushed and nodded. "Then let's be off to bed, shall we?"

I helped her up the stairs- not that she needed it. In fact, I was the one that could have used some help! My calves were burning by the time we reached the top of the east wing. She dismissed me with a cheerful "Goodnight!" and I opened the door to the chamber expecting to find the usual pile of crates and chests pushed aside to make room for a cot or something. Instead, the room contained a bed- a real bed!- a four-poster no less! along with a wardrobe, vanity, and a full-length mirror. I sighed happily, then removed my outer clothing and stowed it in the wardrobe to find that it was filled with nightgowns. Picking out a nice silky one, I slipped it on, set the Heartsong on the vanity, and collapsed into bed. Something wasn't quite right though…

It wasn't the sheets, they were smooth and silky against my skin. It wasn't the pillow, that was firm enough. It wasn't the temperature, it was a mild spring night. My mind was drawing a blank. Wait, that was it! _My mind was drawing a blank!_ It should have been full of my companions by now: My adoptive "little sister," Kitten, and Yuffie from FF7 should have been verbally (or rather mentally) sparring whilst I eye-rolled and tried to block out their banter. Crono and Marle might pop in with the latest news from the rebels in Porre. But most importantly, where was Lucca? Falling asleep was next to impossible without her comforting embrace, and she should have been easier to contact than ever since I was now in the same world as her. _Lucca? _I tried experimentally. No response. _Lucca?? Luuu-cca?_ My soft inquires received no answer. I tried harder, mentally shouting, but got the same result. Finally, tired and restless at the same time, I asked, _Lucca, where are you? I love you, I need you, I miss you…_I continued my monologue as I watched the moon rise higher over the forest, but I never saw it set.


	4. Chapter 4

I awoke blearily, having slept fitfully during the night. I couldn't remember any of my dreams, but all the same, they left me feeling uneasy. In contrast to all of this, outside my window the sun was bathing the tops of the trees in golden light, the birds were singing, and a slight breeze stirred the leaves. I sighed. It was so peaceful…a peace that would last for another 399 years if history was left unaltered. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be around to enjoy it. I turned from the window, gathered my clothes from the wardrobe, and proceeded to dress.

I was tying the lacing on the front of my jacket when I noticed something odd. Was it just me or did my hands have an outline? I turned them over experimentally, wriggling my fingers. The outline didn't go away. It was like looking at a drawing or an…anime? I rushed over to the mirror. Everything had an outline! My body, my clothing, my face. I was an anime character! But drawn by whom? _Oh duh! _I facepalmed. Akira Toriyama of course! Everyone in this world was animated by Toriyama-San! There was just one problem with that…

As much as I love anime, and as much as I love variety in anime, there are some varieties that I don't tolerate as well as others. Toriyama's was one of them. It was fine for male characters (excepting the fact that the eyebrows were literally _on top_ of the eyes, which made everyone, including Crono, who was actually a really nice guy, look scowly) but it made females look boxy and stocky and compact. And the eyes- you'd think he could do more with his eyes. It seemed every character came equipped with the standard generic set of Toriyama eyes. The only difference was color, and a few eyelashes for the girls.

Well, I'd just have to accept it. I turned to face the mirror again and this time examine my face thoroughly. There was the mouth; a curved line with another line below it to define the lower lip. The nose was short and pointed, with a shadow on the underside to give it depth. Now for the moment of truth. I slowly raised my gaze, inwardly pleading _Not the eyes, not the eyes, not the…eyes!_ I smiled with my mouth wide open in a rounded triangle of joy. My eyes were my own; the ones I always drew on myself when I was anime-styled. A large oval- almost a circle- was topped by an arch that thickened at the end to form generous eyelashes. A smaller curved line, arched slightly upwards in happiness at the moment, defined the bottom. What made me really happy was that the irises were perfectly shaded, going from a light milk chocolate at the bottom to a dark chestnut where the light struck and left a couple of shine spots. A dark black pupil graced the middle.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Startled, I jumped and then taking a deep breath, called, "Yes?"

"Art thou awake, Lady Melanie?" Frog's voice asked from the other side of the door. "The Queen desires our presence at breakfast within the hour. After that, we have much to do if thou art to arrive in Lady Lucca's era."

"Yes, Sir Frog; I'll be there, Sir Frog!" I answered, hurriedly tugging on my boots. There was silence for a few seconds, then I heard a throaty chuckle.  
"Frog will do," said Frog. "Thou art not a soldier."

Snatching the Heartsong from the vanity, I cautiously opened the door and stepped out onto the landing. "Thank you, Frog." I said, blushing delicately.

"That is better," Frog replied, smiling, which looked so adorable on his amphibian face that I had to hold back a squee and settle for a grin instead.

As we proceeded down the steps, Frog explained, "I have much to explain to thee, as well as certain items to bestow. Lucca, as thou knowest, left them in my safekeeping when Guardia was invaded in her time." My heart started to pound. He couldn't mean…

But a few moments later in the knights quarters, there it rested in my hands, round and padded, with its metal rim gleaming dully in the torchlight. The antenna quivered slightly, as it picked up my excited trembling. It definitely weighed more than my imitation made of craft foam and fabric, but it couldn't have been over a pound. I ran my index finger gently over the bumps on the rim. Here was physical proof that she existed- her helmet.

"Why doest thou not try it on?" Frog inquired. Startled out of my reverie, I stammered out "B-but…I couldn't! It's not mine!"

"Aaah," Frog intoned, "But thou of all people could. 'Twas this object that brought you together in the first place, was it not? Perhaps it can guide you to her again."

I thought morosely of the loneliness I had felt last night, swallowed, and lowered the helmet onto my head. It fit quite comfortably, well padded on the inside. My senses were heightened almost imperceptibly, and I felt so much more…observant. It was like being able to see in all the mirrors of a car at once; being able to analyze the entire situation instead of having my view limited to only what I could see…and yet…and yet…

I slid the helmet off of my head, chocking back tears. "I can't find her, Frog…It's like something's blocking me." I gave a deep, shuddering breath and was about to set the helmet aside when Frog stopped me. "Try again," he instructed.

Something in his tone reassured me, and I put the helmet back on. This time I battered at the barrier with all my strength, yelling Lucca's name over and over in my mind. The helmet began to jump and rattle on my head. Frog backed away in alarm and was about to say something when suddenly the Masamune flew out of it's sheath and rose into the air, splitting into two glowing forms. The forms took shape as two identical dream spirits- Masa and Mune.

_Who in the name of the Gurus is making all that racket??_

Dunno big bro, but I haven't felt a presence like that in quite a while.  


_Think it's got anything to do with that thing on her head?_

_Hey, you're right, I recognize that!_

_Lucca was wearing that!_

Hey, kid! Whatcha messin' around with that helmet for?!

It was a good thing I had plopped down onto a nearby bench at their very first mention of me, because once Masa addressed me openly my knees completely gave way. _I-I…Lucca… _I stammered incoherently.

_Whoa, relax! _implored Mune. _We don't bite. Just try to start from the beginning and let your thoughts flow from there. We'll help out. Right big bro?_

_Yup. We're good at picking up trains of thought. So just let it loose!_

I did, starting from the moment I had first begun playing Chrono Trigger, to the time I met Lucca, to the time we became friends, to the time she first kissed me, to the time I felt comfortable kissing back, to the time I fell into the portal, to the present moment. It was like watching my life flash before my eyes, so to speak, as Masa and Mune helped the memories along.

_Wow…_ said Masa after everything was finished

_A love out of time, that knows no dimensional boundaries…_ gushed Mune

_Anyway, I think we have the solution to your problem, _interrupted Masa. There was a slight draining feeling in my skull as something came away. Masa caught whatever it was before it could hit the floor. At first I thought he was holding a Barbie doll, but then I recognized the figure. She had her light brown, almost honey-colored hair in a bun, and was wearing a zip-up sweater over a white cami along with a matching skirt and knee-high boots. It was Mary!

Mary didn't figure prominently in my psychosis. She was always busy in the background, weaving and sorting out my thoughts into patterns and dreams. Because that was what Mary was- my dream spirit. She had literally transferred over from one of my dreams into my waking thoughts one morning, and after getting over the disorienting experience of being in the waking world, had taken over the job of weaving my dreams. She was young and, of course, being pulled fresh from my dreams, inexperienced at the task, but she tried her best and that was what counted. She was very shy and never said much unless I addressed her directly, but then what she said was very insightful and accurate. I hadn't considered that she might hold the key to all of this.

But Masa looked concerned. Mary lay prone in his hands, not moving a muscle. "Is she…dead?" I whispered.

_No, _Masa reassured me,_ only in stasis. Your journey here must've knocked her out somehow. Lemme see what we can do._

The brothers took Mary in both their hands and began to mutter strings of unintelligible words. There was a flash of bright blue light accompanied by a gust of warm wind… and Mary still lay limp and unmoving in their hands.

_Wha-what did you do?_ I asked, somewhat panicked.__

This should help bring her out of stasis faster. Masa replied._ When she wakes up, she should have the key to that barrier stashed away somewhere in the archives of your mind. Of course, it'll help if you interact with Lucca, too. That should get the juices flowing in your brain. _

_O-okay. Thank you._

_No problem, kid. Contact us when you reach 1006 AD; let us know how things are going._

_Speaking of contacts, one of your friends sends greetings from Zeal!_

Leaving me to puzzle over that last enigmatic comment, they merged back into the sword once more.

One breakfast and a flute concert later, Frog and I said our farewells to Queen Leene and King Guardia and set out for Truce Canyon. The walk along the road was pleasant and peaceful for the most part, and Frog and I talked of his adventures with Crono and the gang. I carried Lucca's helmet and a hefty pouch of gold in a brown leather rucksack slung over my shoulder. Once we reached the forested canyon though, Frog cautioned me to stay behind him and have my flute at the ready. Luckily we were able to avoid many encounters simply by being quick and stealthy, and in those that we didn't, Frog showed amazing skill with his sword.

However these monsters, unlike the heartless in my previous adventures, did not simply vaporize on the spot when killed. More than once I had to turn away as Frog dumped a carcass into the bushes, still oozing blood from where his sword had inflicted its fatal wound. Frog, however, did not look down on my squeamishness. He simply assured me that magic was an effective tool that left little or no mark on the target.

Upon reaching the clearing, Frog presented me with my final gift: the gate key. Pressing it into my hands he warned, "When thou arrivest in Truce, speak to no one. Daltons spies are everywhere. 'Tis wiser to error on the side of caution." I nodded. "Go straight to the Ashtears' home. There thou wilt find sanctuary with the Rebels," leaning closer he added in an undertone, "and thy love. I am sure she can find a way to send thee safely home, though she may not want to." Again there was that charming smile. "Now go."

I stepped into the center of the clearing, where a little pile of stones had been stacked. Standing next to them, I felt around in the air with the gate key until it snagged on something. Then, pulling it back, I revealed the gate, pulsing and crackling with blue energy in the air.

Looking over my shoulder one last time, I saw Frog looking on, still smiling. This time I couldn't resist. Walking over, I said, "I may not be a princess, but you deserve more of these," and planted a kiss on his cheek. He croaked in surprise, his throat ballooning out like a bullfrogs. "Thank you, Glenn!" I called as I bounded into the portal.


	5. Chapter 5

They called it the death-march. It was that long, winding path leading to the south-west of campus, dotted with mockingly picturesque trees and landscaping. Sure, there were plenty of buildings that one could go to in that side of town, but everyone knew the real reason that somber-faced students trudged down the cold stone walk: it was the path that led to the Testing Center. The path to cruel, soul-crushing justice in the form of standardized exams. And, unfortunately, the path I was taking.

I passed the all-too familiar landmarks that dotted the lawns of campus as I headed south. A few other kids were walking in the same general direction as I was. I tried to distract myself from where I was going by guessing what kinds of exams awaited them at our destination. The girl on my right looked like she'd been told that the test proctors were going to ritually sacrifice her and drink her blood… so she probably had math. Or physics; those were always nasty subjects. Me, I had a midterm in Civilization. An utterly useless class on my quest to earn the mythical Degree. (Grants +10 Resilience and +5 Resume Building, for those who were wondering.)

We rounded the corner, and there it was, all at once. The school must have been feeling cruel the day they designed the Testing Center. Its dark stone face and narrow, arched windows were a stark contrast to the clean, modern designs of the buildings around it, as if someone had yanked it straight out of the Dark Ages and plopped it onto campus. Even the plants seemed to know the horror that went on inside that building—the few bushes around the entrance were scraggly and drooping. The entire place screamed 'dungeon,' or at the very least, 'abandon hope, all ye who enter here.' I saw the eyes of the poor girl next to me widen like saucers and her steps grow marginally stiffer as she took in the sight.

I felt my steps gradually slow, and let myself come to a stop. Even I, the unflappable Danielle, was feeling the effects of the Testing Center. It was like a black hole that sucked away all happiness. I had studied, and hard, but the pointless dates and times must have found a leak in my brain-basin, because they had seeped out as quickly as I had tried to ladle them in. I was gonna have to go in there and BS my way through the multiple choice… and that wasn't even taking into account the essay questions.

I looked at the door to the Testing Center. Only a hundred feet away. I just had to walk in there and get it over with.

I steeled myself, walked forward—and went straight past the Testing Center, heading towards the walking path beyond. _Crap_. I'd been aiming for the door… or at least I thought I'd been. My subconscious seemed to have a different agenda.

_I've still got a day to take the test._ My mind blurted out. _I'll do it tomorrow. I can study more!_ This excuse might have sounded plausible if it weren't the exact same one I'd used yesterday. How long would I wait before I was forced to rush in at the last minute and pay a late fee? Or would I even make it in time at all? I sighed. I needed to go back. This behavior wasn't helping my grades. It was funny, in a way. I could handle spiders and snakes and laugh while doing it, but I was too scared to sit in front of a piece of paper and put marks on it?

The walking path behind the Testing Center was a quiet, peaceful place. I could only assume the school built it to lower the blood pressure of despairing kids who used it to walk home after failing their finals. Pines grew on either side of it, shielding it from the outside world and muffling all the everyday noises. It was like an alternate dimension of tranquil silence amongst the college bustle. The only sound I could hear was my shoes crunching on the ground below.

_Crunch, crunch._

If I walked home now, I could pull out my Civilization textbooks and do some last minute cramming, then rush back before the Testing Center closed again.

_Crunch, crunch._

Oh, who was I trying to kid? If I went home, I'd get on my laptop and fire up a game—and the first enemy I'd slay would be any productivity I might have had today.

_Crunch, crunch… whooooo…_

Huh… where had I heard that noise before? It sounded familiar.

_The black wind howls…_

Yeah. That phrase had something to do with the noise, I could recall. It was something out of a video game. Something to do with guns. Gun… gunblade? No, that was Final Fantasy. Gun… trigger! That's right… trigger… trigger happy? Happy trigger? No…

I realized that the whooshing noise had grown steadily louder. The ground lurched and I nearly fell over. I jerked and crouched down to keep my balance. What the heck… was this a windstorm, or an earthquake? Or both? Up ahead on the path, something black was gathering, sending crackling threads of electricity every which way. As I watched, the black nothingness stretched and gaped, billowing outwards into a circular mass. The noise was incredible, a howling, whistling maelstrom of wind.

My first thought was, _what in the world?_ Was I witness to the birth of a miniature black hole? Or was this a physical embodiment of the black despair of the Testing Center, come to punish me for my disobedience? More importantly, was it going to grow exponentially and devour the earth? But it had stopped growing once it reached about six feet in diameter. It stayed, hovering in the air, unmoving save for its rippling border and the snapping electricity that rumbled in its depths. It looked like a very dark, very menacing tunnel.

I considered whether to run screaming back to the Testing Center. Civilization midterms had nothing on this. I crouched frozen… but the hole wasn't really doing anything besides belching out an eerie breeze. I stood up, slowly, ready to run if the thing suddenly grew fangs and attacked.

Nothing.

I waved my arms.

Still nothing.

Well, nobody ever said I had common sense. If I was the sole witness to an amazing interstellar phenomenon, I was sure as heck gonna check it out. I put an arm in front of my eyes to ward off whirling debris and inched forward. _People get Darwin Awards for being this curious, you nitwit…_ my mind warned, but I ignored it.

I was a foot away from the black tunnel now. My hair was whipping all over the place from the wind that the tunnel was throwing out. A thread of blue electricity snaked out and struck my arm. _AH!_ I jerked my arm back, but it only tingled where the blue light had touched it. Strange. I squinted. It _was_ a tunnel, black and whirling and seemingly endless. Maybe this was a wormhole. And yet it was so familiar… the look of the black tunnel and the sound of the wind. I could have sworn I'd seen it somewhere before. Maybe from something in the _Discovery Channel_? But no, that didn't seem right…

Then, my sleeve brushed against the black edge of the black hole, and before I could react the blackness had sucked in my whole arm. _Crap! Crapcrapcrap!_ I dug my heels in to the gravelly path and tried to yank my arm out, but an extra-strong gust of wind sent me falling headfirst into the abyss. I flailed wildly, but there was nothing to grab. It was as if I was on a sensory-dep rollercoaster; there was no way to tell what was 'up,' nothing to grab, nothing to orient off besides the endless whirling darkness and the screaming wind. I felt my lunch rise into my throat. Was this it? Was my life going to flash before my eyes before I puked and died of nausea? Would I spin around in nothingness forever unti--

And then I landed hard on my back with a muffled _whump._ Oooh… that hurt. I lay there for a few seconds. Right now, my primary objective was keeping my food in my digestive tract. The harsh howl of the wind faded and gave way to quiet. Once I was sure my lunch was securely back where it belonged, I opened my eyes, and almost immediately shut them again—too bright! More prepared this time, I cracked open one eye and looked around, and all of a sudden I remembered where I'd seen the black hole and its whistling wind.

Trigger… trigger… _Chrono Trigger!?_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hello and welcome to Utah's morning news with Grant and Amanda here on KSL," Amanda's voice buzzed on the radio. "For today's top story; a wild windstorm surges through Utah Valley with great force, but it seems to have left residents more spooked than anything else."

An old mans voice crackled to life over the radio, with the wind sounding behind it. "Woke up last night to hear it roarin' just like somfink come to life. But more than that, there were _voices_ in that there wind! Sayin' somfink 'bout the black wind howlin'…Well, it sure as heck was howlin'! Like a durned wolf, it was!"

Amanda continued, "Residents up and down the valley are calling this mysterious storm the 'Black Wind.' The 'Black Wind' lasted for about twelve hours; from five last evening to five this morning. Fortunately, the storm did little in terms of property damage, though many residents along the Wasatch Front were left without power for the night. Over to you, Grant."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This time I managed not to face-plant by holding my arms out in front of me, which was lucky, because face-planting onto cement is never a good idea. I hurriedly scrambled to my feet, looking around for any passer-by who might have seen my entrance. If Porre was truly in power here, it wouldn't do to let anyone know I was capable of time-travel. But this section of Leene Square was empty, except for an old man wearing dark glasses and an odd double-pointed hat quietly enjoying a jug of some generic booze. He nodded in my direction and I nodded back. As I scrambled down the steps toward Nadia's Bell, the thought hit me, _WTF Melchior?!_ and little shock-lines appeared around my head as my pupils contracted to almost nothing. I almost stopped to go back, but Frog had advised "Speak to no one. Daltons' spies art everywhere. 'Tis wiser to error on the side of caution."

I hurried along with my head down, trying my best to blend in and attract as little attention as possible. So far it seemed to be working. No one seemed to notice as I quickly and quietly made my way out of the square, passing first Nadia's Bell, then the fountain. Finally I exited and found myself at the top of a small knoll, with Truce spread out before me. And in the distance…I squinted…could that be it? That small patch of green in the bay with a single dot of white? _Lucca, I'm coming!_ I called, but again there was no response. Torn with eagerness and frustration, I started running down the knoll toward that splash of white. As I entered the streets of Truce, there were surprisingly few people out and about. Those that were watched me with way too much interest. I slowed my pace to a modest jog, but still my heartbeat seemed to pound out _Lu-cca, Lu-cca, Lu-cca,_ as I hurried along. I was getting frantic. How could I get there as fast as I possibly could and still be inconspicuous? And why couldn't I contact her with my mind? Surely something must be stopping her from replying because she would never-

"Hey, you!" A soldier, wearing a uniform I had never seen before and carrying some sort of rifle was looking directly at me. Part of me screamed _Run, now! _and the other part said_ Stay calm and play it cool._ Being the highly logical person I am, I did neither, and froze like a deer in the headlights. The soldier stepped toward me, as did two of his comrades, seeming to tower over me. I sweatdropped. _They're gonna shoot me,_ my mind babbled irrationally, but then the soldier asked me a question that left me totally nonplussed."Why aren't you in school?"

"H-huh?" I stammered."Why aren't you in school? Don't you know it's the law now?" The soldier demanded."The law?""Attendance for all youth ages 13 to 25 is mandatory. Didn't your parents tell you?""My parents…my parents…" I couldn't come up with a plausible lie."Ah, probably killed in the invasion. So you're one of them rebels, huh? Well, even you can't withstand the law. You go to school or you go to prison. Your pick." The soldier leered down at me.

"School…?" I meekly for the second time I found myself under armed escort, but this time to the soldiers said "school." They were none too gentle about it and as they bound my wrists behind me, I glanced over my shoulder once again at that little white smudge in the bay. I couldn't help it, tears started running down my cheeks. I had been so close…_Lucca…Luccaaaaa!! _I screamed silently at that smudge as I was frog-marched away.


	6. Chapter 6

_Lucca! Luccaaaaa!_I jolted awake, my face jerking away from the pile of books I'd fallen asleep on. Stupid lesson plans. You'd think as a school, they'd provide us teachers a curriculum to work with, but NOOOOO, they believed in "creativity," which was basically a way of covering up their laziness and disorganization. The trademark of everything Porre did. They way everything had been since Dalton conquered Guardia.

It came as no surprise I had fallen asleep on my lesson plans. I hadn't been sleeping well at night ever since they had taken me away to this stupid school. For some reason, I couldn't contact Melanie at all. It left me feeling frightened and more alone than I'd ever been since Crono and Marle had married and ascended the throne. I had needed someone to hold on to then, and I needed someone was this desperation that had led me to her in the first place. Two years ago, in the fall of 1004 AD, I had modified my helmet from it's original design. It had been made to pick up on the simple thought patterns of monsters in battle, so that I could tell when and how they would attack. I decided to use it to amplify my own thought patterns and to pick up on others thoughts…I just never thought I would end up contacting a girl from another dimension!

At first she was my "science project" and nothing more. I was still sore and prickly over Crono and Marle leaving me to myself (though later I came to realize that they didn't have much choice when King Guardia died). Luckily for me though, Mel wasn't the kind of person to hold a grudge, especially if you asked for her forgiveness. From then on we were fast friends. She helped ease the burden of losing Crono and Marle.

When she graduated from vocational school, however, things went rapidly downhill. Work was so slow she couldn't pay her rent without her parent's help, and most of the time her roommates were gone or ignored her presence. She was lonely and missed her family intensely. This time it was my turn to be her anchor. It was at this point we started sleeping together. Not that way, you sickos! The literal way. Sleeping in the same bed. We had discovered early on that through our connection, we were capable of transmitting the sensations of physical touch. Hugs, pats on the back, the occasional poke in the ribs were the norm between us. Now we added cuddles to our repertoire. It was a platonic, big sister-little sister thing, and we both took comfort from it. It eased the nights when she felt lonely for her family or when I felt lonely for my friends.

But after she moved back home, I started wanting something more than platonic. I needed something more solid, more real, more intimate. At first I fought the urges, unsure how she would respond to them. But my heart kept insisting that if I really cared for her, we should have MORE to hold us together than the bonds of friendship. _More, more, more!_ it kept insisting, until I finally gave in.

One night I couldn't sleep, the urges were so strong, her body so warm and comforting next to mine. I wondered, _What if I…?_ and with that thought I was bending over her and kissing her.

There were no secrets between us. There couldn't be, not when we shared mind-to-mind contact. I knew that she had been toying with the same ideas, but had dismissed them out of hand. _It isn't right,_ she had thought. And yet, a thrill swept through her when our lips met. She was almost kissing back…almost…! But at the last minute she turned away in disgust. The worst part was that it wasn't directed at me, but at _herself_. That's the kind of friend Mel was. If she truly believed you were a good person and weren't intentionally trying to hurt her, she'd forgive you for almost anything. However, if she found the least imperfection in herself…

We both struggled for weeks, trying to stay away from each other, both fighting the urges that raged within us, both crying for each other's suffering, both wanting to hold the other but afraid of what might happen if we did.

Finally, her psychiatrist put an end to it. I'm still not sure how I feel about that guy. He told her that since she had no power over her hallucinations (I hate being called a hallucination) she should stop resisting and allow herself to indulge in moderation. Which meant we could be together, which pleased me to no end.

And ever since then, I've had that "something more" that I lacked. Love. Because that's the kind of girlfriend Mel is: She'll give you her whole heart, without reservations, if she truly believes you need it and will take care of it.

But at the moment, my face was covered in creases from sleeping on my books, I had no contact with Mel, and reminiscing about our past wasn't going to do me any good. Not since his idiocy himself, Dalton, had burst into my living room, flanked by soldiers and announced that I was to share my knowledge with the students at his academy or watch my family fall prey to his golem. Now we both knew I was more than a match for as sissy golem, but I really didn't need to have my family traumatized by watching me being crushed by iron balls and fried in the heat of my own fire attacks. Besides, after the golem was gone, who knew what he would do? I wouldn't put it past him to take a rifle from his own soldiers and shoot my mother on sight.

So I went into a world of starched uniforms, lockers and crowded hallways. Not willingly, mind you, but I went. And I taught. Fumblingly and awkwardly, and definitely not what Dalton was expecting me to teach (killer robots and time travel, no doubt). And every day I grew a little more miserable. I missed my family. I missed Crono and Marle. And I missed that "something more."


End file.
